GMIT has been awarded €240,000 in funding to deliver modern apprenticeship programmes.
The government announced on Monday that €7.5 million will be invested to support the modernising of craft apprenticeship programmes at ten institutes of higher education.
This funding will support the roll-out of new syllabi for apprenticeships in Plumbing, Carpentry, Electrical, Brickwork, Motor Painting and Decorating, Vehicle Body Repair, Fitting, Toolmaking and Wood Manufacturing and Finishing.
It will also ensure that training is up to date on the newest technologies such as solar and wind energy and energy efficient construction methods and materials.
GMIT is receiving €60,000 for electrical apprenticeship programmes and €180,000 for motor skills programmes.
According to the government there was an 80% increase in apprenticeship registrations between 2015 and 2018.
Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh said “Ensuring that our young people and those retraining have access to cutting edge equipment and the latest thinking on sustainability is key to further developing this increasingly-popular option for training and progression.”
“Apprenticeships offer fantastic opportunities and I would encourage any person looking at their career options, especially students preparing to sit exams this week, to strongly consider the many benefits of apprenticeship.”
The other higher education institutes benefitting from this latest pot of funding include Athlone IT (€260k), Carlow IT (€260k), Cork IT (€1.27m), Dundalk IT (€520k), Limerick IT (€1.25m), IT Sligo (€960k), IT Tralee (€300k), Waterford IT (€320k), Dublin TU (€2.13m).
Apprenticeship is a programme of structured education and training which formally combines and alternates learning in the workplace with learning in an education and training institution.
Since the 1970s it’s estimated that over 105,000 apprentices have been trained in Ireland, with 16,000 apprentices in training right now.
